


Underdog

by leooX



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Dog Walking, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Tyler is secluded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 20:12:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8859403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leooX/pseuds/leooX
Summary: Tyler is forced to take his dog for a walk and meets Josh, member of a dog walking group.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I came up with this when I walked past a field of dog walkers on my way to the doctors.
> 
> Also here's a request to any joshler writers out there- please write more non-sexual fics where Tyler or Josh is a little! Please! I swear I love it so much. So fluffy and sweet.  
> Anyway .enjoy

Tyler really, _really_ could not be arsed with getting out of bed and walking the dog, Bernie, his mom had got, because 'He was lonely when everyone was out'. But, considering he'd dropped out of college and hadn't got a job yet, he couldnt say no when he was dossing at her house without rent and only rarely doing house work.

So, with a defeated sigh, he found the motivation to drag himself out of the pit of his room and slowly make his way downstairs.

It wasn't necessarily that he was lazy, more so unmotivated. He didn't have a reason to get out of bed and leave the house, so he stayed in, sponging off his parents and feeling more and more guilty about it. Finding a job wasn't easy, though.

He felt like he owed his mom, taking the dog out was really the least he could do, even if he really didn't want to, and it admittedly scared him a little.

He rolled his eyes at the white dog that bounded over to him, jumping up and wagging his tail happily.  
"Down- get down," he muttered, pushing at his chest and scrubbing at his face with his other hand.  
It- _he_ , was some kind of labrador cross- and he was so energetic Tyler was kind of jealous.

He gave himself a moment to wake up, leaning against the kitchen counter and yawning numerous times before he straightened and rooted in the cupboard beneath the sink for a harness and lead, hearing Bernie began to twist and whine, knowing he was going for a walk.

Tyler shuffled around and called the dog over, telling him to sit so he could strap the harness on him and attach the lead to it, standing up.

He picked up a bottle of deodorant before he left, spraying it on himself seen as he hadnt actually changed his clothes in a little while, and then putting on a jacket to cover his smell anyway. He probably smelt bad, but he didn't bother to smell himself.

Giving one last scan of the house, he gripped the lead tight in his fist and opened the front door, stepping out with a shiver. It was cold out- being the middle of winter, and a layer of frost covered the ground.   
He turned and locked the door, trying the handle a couple of times before stepping down and beginning the hopefully short journey.

He had to haul the dog back repeatedly, grateful for the extra control he had or he'd be on his arse.  
He was walking towards a field he knew, it was close to a secluded pond he used to go to when he was younger.

He had his headphones plugged in, listening to a soft trance mix just for motivation, and sniffed, rubbing his nose with his jacket. It was _freezing_.  
And the dumb dog was panting like he'd ran a mile and it was a summer day.

"Hey- calm down" Tyler grunted, dragging Bernie back when he started to pull so hard he was choking himself, almost walking on his hind legs. "Stop!"

They were ascending a small hill, just before the upcoming greenery, and Tyler realised why the dog was reacting. 

There was a group of people on the far side of the field, at least fifteen, all with dogs, wearing stupid high-visibility jackets, theit dogs clad in flashing lights, chasing balls and sniffing each other. A fucking dog walking group.

Tyler felt uneasy- he'd never even walked Bernie himself. How was he supposed to know what he was like with other dogs?

Tyler began to lure him to the sides of the field, away from the others, to keep him from fighting them. 

"Bernie- stop. Now." He snapped, pointing a finger to the dog who looked at him innocently and huffed. 

Tyler considered going back home, about to turn around, when he heard a loud bark that set Bernie off, whimpering and dragging him unwillingly across the grass.

"Hey! Stop that! Bernie!" 

A large brown boxer dog stood in front of them, wagging it's tail and stamping it's feet in the dirt in a way that wasn't threatening, but still scared Tyler.

"Nope. Come on, you fucking idiot dog, Bernie- stop pulling!" Bernie stuck his feet in the ground and refused to move, and Tyler only had a moment to blink before the bigger dog was running over to them, pouncing on Bernie excitedly and knocking Tyler over in the process. He landed on his back with an 'oof' and let go of the leader, closing his eyes and groaning.

"Sarge! Get here!"

The scrabble between the two dogs stopped, and Tyler squinted his eyes open to see the boxer run over to a figure that was approaching a winded Tyler.

"Hey, are you okay?" said person was standing over him, pushing a pair of glasses off his face and looking at him with concern, his brown hair falling over his stretched ears.

Tyler nodded stupidly and the guy held out a hand. "I'm Josh." Tyler shook his hand briefly and let his hand drop back to the floor. "I was trying to give you a hand up," 

Tyler flushed and spluttered, taking his hand again and letting himself be hauled up from the floor, covering his face with a hand.

"Thanks- I'm Tyler."

Josh grinned and nodded. "Nice dog- his names Bernie, right?"

"Yeah. You probably heard me yelling at him," Tyler shrugged and rubbed his neck with his hand. 

"Right. Are you with those guys?" Josh pointed across the field, where the mostly old people were.

"No," Tyler scoffed, "I think I'd rather kill myself."

"Oh. I mean. I am with them."

Josh looked embarrassed and Tyler wanted to slap himself. "I didn't mean- I meant that uhm. I just don't have time for that, is all. That's cool that you... walk your dog." Tyler felt himself deflate and hunch over in embarrassment.

Josh laughed and shook his head, "The people are boring. I just like their dogs, that's all. I guess you don't have much experience with dogs?"

"No. This is the first time I've walked him. First time I've left my house in a week." Tyler blurted, attempting to make a joke that ended up in Josh frowning and Tyler wanting to run away.

"Cool... so, you wanna like. Go somewhere?"

"Go somewhere?"

Josh shrugged, scratching his hair. Tyler wanted to touch it. "Like. We could go for a walk or like, get coffee?"

"Coffee. I don't like it but- Id rather not have him with me." 

Josh looked back at Bernie, who was play fighting with... Sarge? then back at Tyler, the big smile still plastered on his face.

Tyler was glad he'd left the house today.


End file.
